Field
The present disclosure generally relates to devices for non-invasive root phenotyping and more specifically to an electronic system and electronic devices to detect plant roots, as well as monitor plant root traits over time.
Description of Related Art
Root system architecture (RSA) describes the spatial arrangement of roots within the soil that is shaped by genetic and environmental factors. The RSA impacts plant fitness, crop performance, grain yield, and can influence a plant's drought tolerance and ability to acquire nutrients. For example, studies have shown that modifying a single gene, DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1), in rice changes the root angle without changing the overall length of the root. This slight change in root angle directs the roots downward, which provides the plant with more access to groundwater. As such, the modified rice (e.g., rice with the DRO1 gene) yields 10% less under drought conditions, whereas unmodified rice (e.g., rice without the DRO1 gene) yields 60% less under the same conditions as compared to well-watered conditions.
Root traits rarely have been applied to breeding programs due, in part, to the difficulty in measuring and monitoring root growth in opaque and complex soils. Current techniques either reduce crop yield or interfere with the plants growing cycle. One technique, for example, uproots field-grown plants for a single time-point measurement. Not only is this technique destructive, but the uprooting process changes in situ factors (e.g., removes the soil foundation), which can bias the measurements (e.g., root angle measurements without soil).
A less destructive technique provides a viewing window such as a rhizotron to observe the roots over time. This technique places a transparent barrier in the path of root growth in order to view the roots that grow adjacent the viewing window of the rhizotron camera. This technique interferes with the plant's natural growing cycle, as it intentionally places an obstruction in the natural path of root development.
Real-time monitoring of the RSA during the growing season without interfering with the plant's growing cycle can provide invaluable information that can be used to produce healthier plants and yield a more abundant crop. As such, a challenge exists for improved, non-invasive techniques for monitoring root phenotypes, such as growth rate, length, angle, and the like.